In The Days Of Before
by OninTells
Summary: Short Story Prequel to "In The Days of A Mistress". Levy wants adventure and brings it to the manor with her servants. Gajeel tries for love but is constantly rejected. What were they doing before they met? Rated T: Swearing, Mild Sexual Theme.


"**In The ****Days of Before"**

**A/N- This the short story prequel to the story of "In The Days of A Mistress". It is optional to read the first story to understand the relationship with each of the characters and the setting it takes place in, but I'll write this in a way that it can stand by itself…sort of.**

**Credit goes to Hiro Mashima for his characters.**

Chapter 1: Dear Levy

"Dear Levy, You're mother and I are out of town for a business meeting. We will be gone for a week and I am putting Capricorn and Heartfilia in charge of the household. I have instructed them to accompany you with your daily activities and you must do well and obey what I have told them. You're 18th Birthday is two weeks away and I am proud of you, my dear daughter. We will return a day before your ceremony. Stay away from outside and be safe.

Love, Father."

Levy sighed as she put the note down on her lap. She sat in her bed drinking tea and eating bread that her maid has served for her. Lucy waited patiently by her side to finish and stood upright, ready to get the day started.

"Gone away, again." Levy sighed once more, " 'Stay away from outside' he says, 'Do as you are told' he says. Lucy, what is so bad about the outside world anyways?"

Lucy, the current head maid, shrugged her shoulders. "Milady, it has been a while seen I have set foot beyond the property of the manor." She explained, "But the last time I left, to work here for the McGardens, it was in an economic crisis."

"That's odd." Levy thought, "What kind of economic crisis is happening? Is it affecting our family business? Is that why my parents have been going away recently for these "meetings" that I know nothing about?"

Lucy giggled at her curiosity, "My mistress, I'm afraid I do not have the answers for your questions and I'm afraid your father has forbidden me to talk to you of the outside world."

Levy gave a dragged sigh feeling disappointed for not having her curiosity satisfied. Her maid cleaned up after her light breakfast and picked out clothes for her to wear for the day. She gave her a bath, brushed her sapphire locks of hair, and dressed her. Levy looked like a fragile porcelain doll, her pale skin clean and perfect and her brown eyes wide and glistening.

There was a knock on a door and in came a man with white hair and goatee wearing a black twin tailed suit.

"Is my mistress ready to start her day?" said the man.

"Good morning, Capricorn." Levy greeted.

He gave a bow and gestured to Lucy to answer his question.

"Yes, Capricorn she is ready. I will stay here and clean her room."

"If you wish," Capricorn replied, "Milady, if you would please follow me to the library. It's time for your studies."

Levy nodded and followed her faithful butler to the library. He suddenly halted when a girl in a maids outfit with pink hair greeted them.

"Good morning milady, Capricorn." Said the girl.

"Good morning, Virgo." They both said.

"The library is clean and spotless, milady."

"Good work, Virgo." Capricorn complimented, "Would you like to accompany us to the studies?"

Virgo shook her head, "I'm afraid my duty lies elsewhere at this time, but…"

He raised a brow at her, "But…?"

"But..." she continued with a slight blush on her cheeks, "If you have time, will you meet me in the gardens?"

"Of course." He smiled, "See me at the gardens tonight."

Levy stood there quiet feeling a little left out in the conversation, but it was not her business. Seeing as her only friends were her servants, she didn't really know too much about any of them. Levy caught the blush on Virgo's blush and smiled towards Capricorn who was now looking at her with a confused look.

"Mistress?" he called.

"She likes you." Levy sang and watched her butler grow a blush in his cheeks, "Is there something going on between you two that I don't know about? It would be awkward for me every time I'm stuck in the middle between the two of you."

"My apologies." He bowed.

"No, it is all right. It's been happening since I was a kid but recently it's been happening quite often."

"My sincere apologies, milady," he groaned, "I did not know, our conversation made you feel uncomfortable for a long time now. From now on Virgo and I will have our conversation in a more private manner."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that." She protested, "I just want to know, if you two were…you know, together "together"."

"Oh…" he gasped, "No. We are just friends and co-workers. Nothing more."

"Hmm…" she grinned, "You two will be good together, as a couple that is."

"Thank you, milady but my duty lies elsewhere."

"If you say so." She teased, "but if you were given a chance to date her and stuff, would you do it?"

"Maybe." He quickly answered, "but right now, we must stick to the schedule and head to the studies. Please follow me."

Levy nodded and sighed. She was wondering if her butler was in denial or was not telling the whole truth to her. But that quickly vanished as she thought about what her love life would be like.

"Gajeel!" a black man called while knocking on a door.

"Fuck off, Lily!" Gajeel growled behind his locked bedroom door, "I'm not in the mood to talk!"

"Look man, I'm sorry!" Lily apologized, "I didn't know your date was going to run away after she saw you."

"Wrong!" he yelled back, "she screamed at me, fucking sprayed me and THEN she ran away!"

"She said she liked dark and gruff men and that she was into 'bad boys'" Lily explained, "You seem to fit the description."

"Apparently I was too much for her." Gajeel smirked, "Bet she'd give her choice of taste in men a different look now after she has seen what a real 'bad boy' looks like!"

"Just open the door! Or do you want me to send Juvia?"

"Fine!" he growled as he opened his door. "Satisfied?!"

Lily took a good look at Gajeel with his long spiky black locks in a mess. Strands of hair stuck to his sweaty forehead and his eyes were puffy and red.

"Were you crying dude?" Lily asked.

"Fuck no!" Gajeel yelled back, "She sprayed me with mace! Why don't you stick your eye in a chili and see if your eyes don't fucking end up like this!"

"All right, all right…" Lily sighed, "calm down, there's still other women available."

"Forget it, Lily." He huffed, "I'm not really looking for love right now, and I don't really care for it either. So you and Mira can stop hooking me with random women that will just run away from me!"

"We're just trying to help you, Gajeel." Lily explained.

"I don't need it." He spat back, "I'm fine the way I am. I'm fine being alone and it's better that way so I don't have to go through all this shit over and over again!"

Lily sighed and felt guilty for putting his best friend through this. There has been many times he tried to set up Gajeel on a date or to find a companion to love but each meeting ended up with the girl running away or attacking the man due to his fearful appearance. Lily knew that even though Gajeel showed little to no emotions and pointing the fact that he cared little; deep down it Gajeel is emotionally hurt every time.

"So…" Lily trailed off awkwardly, "Want to go out for lunch? I'll pay."

"Tch," he huffed, "Whatever."


End file.
